Definition
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight
History
Origin
Southern Alps, France
Discoverer
Dolomieu
Etymology
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
-
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Maintenance
Less
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
58% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
61% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
42% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
36% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
19% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
-
Industry
Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Boninite and Jasperoid
Features
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
Famous Monuments
-
Sculpture
-
Famous Sculptures
-
Pictographs
-
Petroglyphs
-
Figurines
-
Fossils
Present
Formation
Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.
Composition
Mineral Content
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides
Compound Content
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
17% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
78% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Types of Weathering
-
Erosion
✔
✘
86% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Types of Erosion
-
Physical Properties
Hardness
3.5-4
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Streak
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous and Pearly
Compressive Strength
140.00 N/mm2
Rank: 23 (Overall)
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
Toughness
1
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Transparent to Translucent
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 10 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
Africa
Morocco, Namibia
Europe
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland
Others
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula